Pedro Martir in the beginning of the XVI century described the tapir as follows: "the size of a bull elephant with a trunk and a horse's hooves."In fact, this animal in appearance is a surprising mix: while it looks like a pig, a pony or a rhino with a trunk like an elephant, though shorter.In this article we will talk in more detail about this interesting animal, which many causes tenderness.
Habitats
tapir - a kind of large mammals belonging to the order Perissodactyla allocated to the family tapirovyh.In the language of the tribe of the Brazilian name for these animals is "thick", which is directly related to their skin.
tapir - an animal that lives in Southeast Asia and Latin America.There the animals inhabit bushes and swamp forests along the shores of lakes and rivers.Modern types - are the remnants of once large group, whose area distributed in the Northern Hemisphere as a whole.In America, these wild equids are the only representatives.
Appearance
Over the past 30 million. Years tapir looks virtually unchanged.Today, South American Tapir is very similar to their ancient ancestors.Somehow it resembles a horse than a rhino.In tapir rear (three-toed) and front (tetradigitate) virtually horse hoof feet (they even look like microscopic detail).The feet have calluses and below the elbow joint, which are similar to chestnut horses.At the American tapir on the neck is a small mane.The upper lip, which is more mobile than a horse, stretched in the proboscis.Animals are born in the dress, which, apparently, were walking ancestors of various animals: intermittent light strips extend from tail to head on a dark background of their skins.In the same way, "painted" and feet.
Tapirs - is tightly folded animals with a stocky body, which is covered with thick, short, usually black or brown hair.The height at the withers of the male is on average 1.2 m, length - 1.8 m, the total weight - 275 kg.Muzzle, including tapir nose and upper lip, pulled out a small mobile proboscis, which is used for cutting off any young shoots or leaves.Eyes small, stick to the sides rounded ears.The legs are short, back - three-toed, front - tetradigitate with the axis of the limb in both cases, passes through the third finger, which assumes the main burden.Little hoof ends each finger.The tail is short, as if chopped off.
This is quite a powerful animal, in whose honor was named the new ZIL "Tapir".By the way, the car was quite elongated snout resembling an animal's appearance.
Power
tapir - an animal that feeds on the leaves of forest shrubs and aquatic plants.Tapirs great dive, swim, can be a very long time under water, and in case of danger is always there looking for salvation.
Malayan tapir - a night secretive animal, preferring to hide in the dense rain forests.There are seasonal migration - during the dry season, they are found in the lowlands, while in the rainy season - and in mountainous areas.For example, in Sumatra animals were observed at altitudes up to 1,500 meters in the mountains.Also, migration may be associated with worsening food conditions and forest fires;tapirs in Thailand in the dry season of deciduous evergreen forests move into.Increasingly they began to meet on edges, clearings and plantations.
Reproduction
tapirs Mating occurs throughout the year.Pregnancy lasts about 400 days, mostly born one calf, but it does happen and the twins.At the same time the American Animal kids distinguished by the presence of white spots and longitudinal stripes on a dark brown skin.At 6 months of age, the pattern begins to disappear, the year the color becomes completely adult - monotonous.Tapirs live about 30 years.
necessary to clarify that in America represented 3 types of this kind, and the only one in Asia.The number of tapirs everywhere greatly reduced because of the clearing of forests for land and hunt animals.All species are protected and, except for the plain, were in the Red Book.
South American Tapir
This kind of brownish-black with white spots, located in the chest, neck and throat.This species inhabits the forests of South America.Lowland tapirs are primarily nocturnal.In the daytime, they are removed in the thickets, the same night, go in search of food.These animals are well able to dive and swim.In general, they are very cautious and timid, in the case of the slightest threat they are fleeing or trying to hide in the water.
South American Tapir, if necessary, defend themselves with the help of the teeth, biting the attacker.If there are two individuals, their behavior with respect to each other, is usually aggressive.They mark their ranges with urine, and to communicate with relatives, various shrill sounds resembling a whistle.They eat only plants, preferring them to the softest part.Besides the leaves they eat buds, algae, fruit and twigs.To the enemies of tapirs are crocodiles, jaguars and cougars.
mountain tapir
This is the small size of the genus.Mountain tapir - an animal that is found in the forests of Colombia and Ecuador.It differs from the plain blackish thick hair and lack manes.This view of the 1824-1827 biennium.during investigations of the Colombian Andes described the French scientist Jean-Baptiste Boussingault and Roulin Desiree.They noted that this strange animal fur is long, like a bear.
mountain tapirs are solitary, active at night, which during the day is removed in the thicket of forest.They - excellent climbers, who can also dive and swim, in addition, they are eager to dig in the dirt.But it should be noted that it is very timid animals, in the case of a threat, they often hide under water.These tapirs are also herbivores.They feed on twigs, leaves and other parts of plants.
Malayan tapir
Malayan tapir can be seen in the south-eastern part of Asia, more precisely, in Thailand, in the south-eastern region of Burma, the Malay Peninsula, in addition to the neighboring islands.Its front part of the body and hind legs are brownish-black coloring, and the middle (from the shoulders to the base of the tail) - creamy-white, as if covered with a saddle cloth (blanket).This is a prime example of the so-called patronizing "dismembering" of color, which is great animal masks on moonlit nights in the jungle when the whole plant world is black and white continuous pattern.
Malayan tapir is also great dives and swims in the water but it is even mates, and fully immersed can wander along the bottom of lakes.He always falls in the mud, thus getting rid of parasitic insects and mites.
Central American tapir
This large animal blackish-brown monochrome suit.It is found in the territory of Mexico to Panama.Very similar in appearance to their relatives in South America, though the details are different from the structure.
At the Central American tapir withers height is 120 cm, and weight - 300 kg, body length - 200 cm. With such indicators it is considered not only the largest tapir of the New World, it is also the largest wild mammal of tropical America.It is similar in appearance to the lowland tapir, thus, in addition to larger sizes, has a short mane on his head.
